INDIE DARLINGS: Will Jenny and Johnny, as in Lewis and Rice, slip and call each other Schmoopie on Wednesday at the Rio?

Music Calendar

August 25 - September 1, 2010

Thursday | 8/26

MONTE MONTGOMERY BAND

Austin's Monte Montgomery is an unparalleled six string hero who's been named best acoustic guitarist seven times at the SXSW festival's Austin Music Awards and hailed by Guitar Player Magazine as one of the top 50 greatest guitarists of all time. In addition to all of his dexterous fretwork, Montgomery has also proven an accomplished singer/songwriter whose folk, country and blues material pays tribute to the legacies of Bob Dylan and Townes Van Zandt. It's rare for guitar virtuosos to also be skillful songwriters, but Montgomery bridges the gap, and his work is as compelling for fans of folk and blues as it is to guitar geeks. Moe's Alley; $12 adv/$15 door; 8pm. (Paul M. Davis)

LENNY WHITE'S ANOMALY

This onetime drummer for Chick Corea is widely known for his sturdy backbeats and funk-fusion chops, which earned him a spot playing for Miles Davis on the Bitches Brew sessions. With that sort of pedigree, there's little doubt as to why Lenny White has remained a hot name in jazz-fusion ever since striking out on his own. White's combo Anomaly (which shares a title with his latest album) features the heavy-hitting lineup of guitarists Jimmy Herring and Tom Guarna, keyboardist Vince Evans and bassist Richie Goods. On Anomaly, White brings together both original compositions and unique interpretations of unexpected material. Kuumbwa; $22 adv/$25 door; 7 and 9pm. (PMD)

Friday | 8/27

JACKIE GREENE

Salinas is known for a lot of things—rodeos, lettuce, gang shootings—but producing award-winning rock musicians is not typically one of them. Challenging that reputation is Americana troubadour Jackie Greene with his shimmering guitar playing and countrywise lyrics. On albums like Gone Wanderin', American Myth and Giving Up the Ghost, Greene explores the wide open spaces and dense urban jungles of the modern West, while still finding time to delve into his own, sometimes tortured, psyche. The young songwriter still knows how to throw a party, however, and on stage expect a honky-tonk-worthy cataclysm of roots rock-meets-country hoedown. Catalyst; $18 adv/$22 door; 9pm. (CC)

THE BLASTERS

The Blasters don't live in California, they live in a jukebox. They share a mailbox with Elvis, carpool with George Jones and go through pomade like it's 1950. Rockabilly has been making a solid comeback in recent years, and founder Phil Alvin, brother of co-founder Dave Alvin, who left the band in 1986, has been in the thick of things, bowling shirt and all. Today the Blasters' blend of rock, blues, jazz, country and swing stands as a testament to a seasoned genre. See story, page 23. Don Quixote's; 8pm; $16 adv/$18 door. (Kate Jacobson)

Saturday | 8/28

BIGFOOT MUSEUM BENEFIT

Bigfoot isn't going to chase himself. He needs qualified, professional and, most importantly, paid individuals to pour those plaster casts of his feet and shakily hold video cameras while he lumbers off. No one knows this need better than the folks at the Bigfoot Discovery Museum in Felton. And now the cryptozoological companions at the Crepe Place are throwing a benefit to help the museum folks foot the Bigfoot bill. The lineup features local ska king Dan P and his new band the Stitch Up, garage punk trio the Groggs and pop punkers Kepi Ghouli—all of whom may or may not be dressed in hairy ape-man suits. Crepe Place; $10; 9pm. (CC)

HIEROGLYPHICS

About 15 years ago, when smart, lyrical hip-hop was just coming into its own, Hieroglyphics was the what's-what in the Bay Area. Featuring the ever-prominent Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Snupe, Opio, Mike G, Jay-Biz, Souls of Mischief, Pep Love and Domino, the crew of laser-lipped rhymers followed the Wu-Tang Clan business model by giving each member freedom to release separate solo albums while still remaining part of a larger brand. Today you can hear Del's smooth flows and Pep's sharp tongue on rap connoisseur's playlists and see the group's three-eyed face logo on T-shirts, posters and bathroom stall walls worldwide. Catalyst; $18 adv/
$23 door; 9pm. (CC)

Sunday | 8/29

CHUCK MEAD

Back in the '90s, BR549 was the mainstream country act that it was OK for alt-country fans to enjoy, a refreshing island of traditional honky-tonk that found rare harbor in the Nashville music machine. Founding member Chuck Mead has since gone solo, and the troubadour role fits him. With his solo debut, 2009's Journeyman's Wager, Mead keeps his feet firmly planted within the roots-rock camp while extending his creative reach to encompass elements of soul, R&B and even funk. Mead demonstrates an artistic breadth in his solo work that the freewheeling BR549 only suggested. Crepe Place; $8; 9pm. (PMD)

Wednesday | 9/1

JENNY AND JOHNNY

The bad news is that indie heartthrob Jenny Lewis has a boyfriend. The good news is that this Johnathan Rice character travels around the country playing music with her. Not that Little Miss Lewis is any stranger to dating her bandmates, as Rilo Kiley guitarist Blake Sennett, a.k.a. Ronnie Pinsky from Salute Your Shorts, will tell you. But in this case, the musical P.D.A. session is the cornerstone of the act instead of a steamy side note. Jenny and Johnny's sound includes the sickly sweet melodies fans are accustomed to but this time wraps them in a rougher, more aggressive and more punk-influenced package. Rio Theatre; $15 adv; 8pm. (CC)